09 December 2012

Photographing Arnold Newman – 1975

Arnold Newman Dyptich
© roger minick 2012
                           
                           In 1975,  during a weeklong Ansel Adams Workshop in Yosemite, I had the
                           good fortune to meet the portrait photographer Arnold Newman.  He and I, 
                           and several other instructors, were there helping Ansel Adams teach classes 
                           in photography.  One day several of us were hanging out in front of Arnold 
                           Newman's cabin and it occurred to me that I really should be photographing 
                           the moment. Here was one the world's most famous portrait photographers and 
                           when would I ever have such an opportunity again.  By this time I figured I had 
                           gotten to know him well enough that I could probably take some semi-candid 
                           photographs while he told stories and chatted with the students, so I asked him if 
                           he minded.  He shrugged as if to say okay.  Keep in mind that this is the man who 
                           invented environmental portraiture, and who always worked with a large format 
                           camera and tripod, so for him to see me start clicking away with a 35mm, circling, 
                           trying to remain invisible––the exact opposite of the way he approached photo- 
                           graphing people––I figured it was only a matter of time before he made some 
                           comment about my method of working.  Well, as it turned out, his comment 
                           was not verbal but came in the form of a gesture.  After a few minutes, he 
                           suddenly raised a finger  (pretending anger) and lunged toward me with an 
                           outstretched hand.  To which everyone in attendance, including myself, had 
                           a good laugh... 
       
                           

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